Heuchera plant named ‘Caroline’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Heuchera  plant named ‘Caroline’, characterized by its full, densely foliated and uniformly mounded plant habit; vigorous growth habit; purple bronze and silver-colored leaves; numerous large white-colored flowers arranged on erect panicles; and excellent garden performance.

Botanical designation: Heuchera×hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Caroline’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Heuchera, botanically known as Heuchera×hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Caroline’.

The new Heuchera is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Scottdale, Pa. The objective of the breeding program is to create new vigorous Heuchera cultivars with uniform plant habit, and attractive leaf and flower coloration.

The new Heuchera originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in May, 2001 in Scottdale, Pa. of Heuchera ‘Shenandoah Mountain’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,357, as the female, or seed, parent with Heuchera ‘White Queen’, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Heuchera was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Scottdale, Pa. in June, 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new Heuchera by cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Scottdale, Pa. since April, 2004, has shown that the unique features of this new Heuchera are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new Heuchera has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature, daylength and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Caroline’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Caroline’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Heuchera:

-   -   1. Full, densely foliated and uniformly mounded plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Purple bronze and silver-colored leaves.     -   4. Numerous large white-colored flowers arranged on erect         panicles.     -   5. Excellent garden performance.

Plants of the new Heuchera differ from plants of the female parent, ‘Shenandoah Mountain’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Heuchera are more compact than plants of         ‘Shenandoah Mountain’.     -   2. Plants of the new Heuchera have shorter inflorescences than         plants of ‘Shenandoah Mountain’.     -   3. Plants of the new Heuchera have larger flowers than plants of         ‘Shenandoah Mountain’.

Plants of the new Heuchera differ from plants of the male parent, ‘White Queen’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Heuchera are more compact than plants of         ‘White Queen’.     -   2. Plants of the new Heuchera have shorter inflorescences than         plants of ‘White Queen’.     -   3. Flowers of plants of the new Heuchera have smaller petals         than flowers of plants of ‘White Queen’.

Plants of the new Heuchera can be compared to plants of the Heuchera ‘Harmonic Convergence’, disclosed in U.S. Plant. Pat. No. 11,111. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Scottdale, Pa., plants of the new Heuchera differed from plants of ‘Harmonic Convergence’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Heuchera had smaller leaves than plants of         ‘Harmonic Convergence’.     -   2. Plants of the new Heuchera had shorter and narrower         inflorescences than plants of ‘Harmonic Convergence’.     -   3. Plants of the new Heuchera had larger flowers than plants of         ‘Harmonic Convergence’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Heuchera, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Heuchera.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Caroline’.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Caroline’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in Scottdale, Pa. in one-gallon containers in a glass-covered greenhouse and under conditions which closely approximate commercial Heuchera production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 26° C. and night temperatures ranged from 5° C. to 15° C. Plants were one year old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Heuchera×hybrida ‘Caroline’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Heuchera×hybrida ‘Shenandoah             Mountain’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,357.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Heuchera×hybrida ‘White Queen’, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 15 days at 23° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 21 days at 17° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 45 days             at 23° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 60 days             at 17° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous perennial; basal rosette plant habit             with leaves developing from the base; densely foliated;             full, mounded and uniform plant habit with upright panicles             with white-colored flowers. Vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant size.—Height, soil level to top of foliar plane: About             10 cm. Height, soil level to top of panicles: About 45 cm.             Diameter or spread: About 30 cm. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Basal rosette, simple.         -   Length.—About 9.5 cm.         -   Width.—About 8 cm.         -   Shape.—Rounded cordate; seven-lobed.         -   Apex.—Broadly obtuse, lobed.         -   Base.—Auriculate.         -   Margin.—Crenate with ciliation.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Slightly pubescent;             slightly rough.         -   Venation pattern.—Palmate; reticulate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             Close to 198A; venation, close to 189A underlain with close             to 187A. Developing and fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close to 187A; venation, 187A.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 14 cm. Diameter: About 1.8 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color, upper and             lower surfaces: Close to 187B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Appearance/arrangement.—Single flared campanulate flowers             arranged on loose, narrow and mostly erect panicles; about             eight to ten panicles develop during the flowering season,             each panicle with about 120 to 220 flowers and flower buds.             Flowers face mostly outward to slightly downward. Flowers             not fragrant.         -   Time of flowering.—Plants flower from May through August in             Scottdale, Pa., flowering continuous during this period.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Individual inflorescences last             about one week on the plant. Flowers persistent.         -   Inflorescence size.—Length: About 40 to 45 cm. Diameter:             About 4 cm.         -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 5.5 mm. Depth (height): About 8             mm.         -   Flower buds.—Height: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 3.5 mm.             Shape: Bulbous. Color: Close to 155D, shaded with close to             59B.         -   Sepals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five sepals; radially             symmetrical and fused at base. Calyx length: About 6 mm.             Calyx diameter: About 5.5 mm. Shape: Elongate. Apex: Obtuse.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to 155D. Color, lower             surface: Close to 155D, shaded with close to 59B; glandular             hairs, close to 59B.         -   Petals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five minute petals; radially             symmetrical. Length: About 3 mm. Width: About 1.3 mm. Shape:             Spatulate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Serrate. Texture, upper             surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower surface: Glandular             hairs. Color, upper surface: Close to 155D. Color, lower             surface: Close to 155D; glandular hairs, close to 59B.         -   Flower bracts.—Length: About 2.2 mm. Width: About 0.7 mm.             Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Serrate. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Glandular hairs. Color, upper and             lower surfaces: Close to 187B.         -   Peduncles.—Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly erect to about             30° from vertical. Length: About 27 cm. Diameter: About             2 mm. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 187B.         -   Pedicels.—Strength: Strong. Aspect: About 30° from vertical.             Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 0.2 mm. Texture:             Pubescent. Color: Close to 195B, shaded with close to 187B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen number: Five per             flower. Anther shape: Oval. Anther size: About 1 mm by             0.6 mm. Anther color: Close to 25A. Amount of pollen:             Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 25A. Gynoecium: Pistil             number: Two per flower. Pistil length: About 6 mm. Stigma             shape: Round. Stigma color: Close to 157A. Style length:             About 5 mm. Style color: Close to 157A. Ovary color: Close             to 157A.         -   Seed.—Size: About 0.6 mm by 0.3 mm. Color: Close to 202A. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Heuchera has not been observed on plants grown under commercial     conditions. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Heuchera have been observed to     have excellent garden performance. Plants of the new Heuchera have     demonstrated good tolerance to rain, wind, night temperatures as low     as −30° C. and day temperatures as high as 45° C. 

1. A new and distinct Heuchera plant named ‘Caroline’ as illustrated and described. 